Karzai Will Hold Assembly To Decide New Peace Strategy

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he plans to hold a grand assembly of elders, or loya jirga, to decide the country's peace strategy in the near future.

Karzai made the comments on October 3 in a televised address to the nation after the killing of his top peace envoy, Burhanuddin Rabbani, at his Kabul home on September 20 by a man who said he was carrying a message from the Taliban.

Rabbani was the head of the government High Peace Council, which led the Afghanistan administration's efforts to negotiate with the Taliban.

Karzai maintained that "the Pakistan Islamic government has not co-operated with us to ensure peace and security in Afghanistan," and restated the view that negotiations had to go through Pakistan in order to get to the Taliban.

Afghan officials have linked the Taliban to Rabbani's murder which they say was carried out by a Pakistani and was plotted in the Pakistani city of Quetta.